Ultimate Kenya with Pangolin 2019

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Masai Mara & Samburu, Kenya!

Take part in our exclusive photography workshop in cooperation with Pangolin Photography Safaris and top photographer Gerhard "Guts" Swanepoel, Janine Krayer, Charl & Sabine Stols and SIGMA Reference Photographer Andreas Knausenberger!

We believe that we have created a safari using two unique destinations to make the most of the photo opportunities that this amazing country has to offer.

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Learn from the professionals

Every week us guided by three photographic guides. All our guides are very experienced wildlife photographers which have travelled a countless number of countries all over the world. All our photographic guides have won several awards and are well know. You will have the benifit of getting first hand information to improve your wildlife photography skills in the field and also in post-production after your game drives. Allthrough your stay in Kenya, you will be accompanied by the photographic guides.

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We place the highest value on quality and top service. For this reason, we use only Toyota Landcruisers or Land Rover 8-seater in our photo workshops. The vehicles are also modified for photo workshops. The vehicles have a 220 V power supply. So you can charge your batteries and cameras in the bush at any time. Our drivers are trained guides with many years of experience in the field of photo workshops. All of our vehicles are equipped with own radios. This allows good communication with each other on private frequencies. Thus, you won’t miss any highlight and are always up to date. During the photo workshop we provide beanbags to hangup and stabilizing your camera.


Day 1 - Arrival in Nairobi, Kenya
The group will meet up at our hotel in Nairobi for a first night dinner and a chance to meet your hosts and fellow travellers. The hotel that we use has been chosen is for its position between the international airport where you will arrive and the domestic terminal of Wilson Airport which you depart to the Masai Mara from the following morning.

Day 2 - 7 - Flight into Mara and Game Drives

We head to Wilson airport early in the morning to board our private chartered flight to the Masai Mara. We have made the decision to charter all of our flights to maximise the time that we have and also to allow for extra baggage and camera gear for the group.

The flight takes approximately one hour and then we will land at Ol Okiombo airstrip where we will be met by our team of drivers and guides in the customised Pangolin game viewers. We have three vehicles with a maximum of four guests plus one guide in each. The photo hosts will rotate through the vehicles during the safari giving you a chance to learn and receive photo advise from each of them throughout the trip.

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Our first five nights will be spent at Mara Bush Camp. Chosen for its location we will spend plenty of time out in the Masai Mara National Reserve photographing in the areas surrounding the camp. The location is ideal for getting to the wildebeest crossings for which the Mara is so famous. During our time at Mara Bush Camp you will also have the opportunity to photograph from the air in our private chartered helicopter. This was a real highlight on previous trips with some startling aerial images being taken from the one hour allocated to each person on the trip. Each one hour flight will be for two clients and one of our photo guides who will be seated behind you.

This first part of the trip will involve full day game drives which will prove very productive photographically. Lunches will be taken out in the field in between sightings.

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Also included in the safari package is a hot air balloon flight along The Mara River. This form of flight is fantastic and a must-do so we have decided to included it in the itinerary for everyone on this trip. Photographing as we skip along the trees metres away from soaring vultures and other birds of prey is quite simply stunning. The control that pilots have is incredible and the Governors Balloons are the only ones that spend the majority of the flight directly over the Mara River. After we land in the Mara Triangle we are treated to a full champagne breakfast at the foot of the escarpment overlooking The Masai Mara. Its an awesome way to start the day

Day 7 - 10: Samburu

During our days in The Mara we will have covered nearly all of the photographic hotspots and crossings and have hundreds if not thousands of brilliant images and so we will move on to a very special reserve in the north of Kenya – Samburu. Again to save time we have chartered a private plane to fly us directly from The Mara to Samburu and the flight will take just under 2 hours.

Samburu is very different to The Mara and more similar in look and feel to the thorny bushveld of Southern Africa. Its is however the unique species of animals that draws us to this place as well as the beautiful Samburu people who call the magical region home.

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Upon arrival we will take the short drive to our lodge Saruni Samburu. Built by a visionary Italian, Riccardo Orizio, on top of a rocky outcrop this lodge is one of the most stunning places we have ever been to. The rooms all have spectacular views over the surrounding reserve.

The animals of the Samburu are as exotic as the reserve itself with rare species like Reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk and Grevy’s Zebra making for very unique subjects. The Samburu people who work in the reserve and lodge are the most charming, beautifully dressed and adorned people we have encountered and are more than happy to have their photos taken.

Time at Samburu will be spent photographing in the reserve, from the Saruni photo hide near the lodge and also doing more editing and post production in between. Saruni is a great way to end the trip in a more relaxed fashion…..it is a holiday after all!

Day 10: Departure

Sadly this is the end of the annual Mara and Samburu photo safari. Should you wish to extend your trip we can heartily recommend traveling onto the coast for some more R&R/editing time or perhaps even south towards The Chobe. Kenya Airways have regular flights from Nairobi to Livingstone in Zambia where you can see the mighty Victoria Falls and then transfer over to our houseboat on The Chobe River.


The Mara Bush Camp

Mara Bush Camp is a mobile camp and discreetly ‘tucked away’ in a riverine forest on the banks of the seasonal Olare Orok River. It is less than 1 km from Ol Kiombo airstrip and hence situated in the Maasai Mara heartland. Mara Bush Camp is small & offers personalized services while providing all amenities to make you feel at home. Get spoilt after an exhilarating day out in the bush in your luxurious walk–in tent with a spacious veranda overlooking the Olare Orok & its numerous hippos.

All 12 river front tents have been placed far enough apart to guarantee complete tranquillity & privacy. The luxury tents are equipped with a comfortable 4 Poster bed (double / twin available on request) with a mosquito net, en-suite flushing toilet and sink unit in the bathroom with running water, hot bucket shower, clothes rack & storage chest, writing desk & veranda furniture, 1 litre of Mineral water daily to brush your teeth, towels & shampoo / conditioner & liquid wash soap.

A fully equipped Mess Tent is situated close by, where all meals are served. Adjoining, is a luxurious and comfortable Lounge Tent, where one can meet up with other clients to exchange safari experiences and highlights of the day or catch up on reading a book from the in-house library. A Sundowner cocktail will help you unwind in front of a cozy campfire under the African stars with all its sounds of nature. All meals at the camp are freshly prepared by the camp’s head chef, offering buffet lunches and set a’ la carte dinners. Our chef will also ensure that picnic meals are readily available for all those who prefer to stay out in the bush all day long.

This is particularly interesting for photographers and keen game viewers. Early morning coffee / tea can be served on your private tent veranda. The camp is fully solar powered, but a Generator (well tucked away to ensure that there is no noise pollution) is available to provide power in order to charge all cameras & equipment. Mara Bush Camp is not fenced, therefore Maasai ‘Morani’s (warriors) will look out for your safety while you are sleeping. The camp is for the visitor who appreciates simplicity and privacy away from mass tourism and wants to enjoy an authentic ‘safari’ experience rather than a large, crowded lodge with swimming pool & entertainment.

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Samburu Saruni

Saruni Samburu’s six luxury, eco-chic villas are open and spacious, heralding spectacular views over Kalama Conservancy and Mount Kenya. As the only lodge in over 200,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness teeming with wildlife to explore exclusively, and guided by Samburu warriors passionate about their land and culture, the safari experience at Saruni Samburu is intimate and truly exceptional. Each of the villas has its own style and offer a high quality interior and fantastic views over the valley.

Photographic hide

At Saruni Samburu we offer our guests a unique experience for Kenya: access to an elephant-proof, open ground level hide based at a waterhole, where from both novice and professional photographers can photograph animals and elephants from ground level. Designed with the needs of photographers in mind, buried underground, and covered with earth on three sides as well as on the roof, located a few steps from our waterhole (which is also being re-designed), it is ‘painted’ with Samburu red earth and covered with shrubs and bushes: the perfect spot for ‘stealing’ amazing images of what occurs at our well-frequented waterhole. It can have up to 8 guests inside, it has maps and books available, and bean bags for photographers.

The waterhole at Saruni Samburu offers a unique opportunity to spot from very close up the elephants that come and drink its water, the fantastic birds species and the ‘Samburu Five’; reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk, Somali ostrich and Grevy zebra. Being in the middle of an arid area, the hide also provides excellent opportunities to photograph from ground level and from very close up the predators of Samburu, especially lion and leopard.

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Incredible Wildlife
The area around Saruni Samburu is teeming with wildlife – from the giant herds of Samburu elephant coming to drink at the waterholes, leopard making their lairs on rocky outcrops nearby, to endangered packs of African wild dog seen traversing the plains below the lodge. The area is also home to rare endemic species, the Samburu Five: Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich and genenuk.

Fascinating Culture
The Samburu are the indigenous nomadic tribe and custodians of the area where the lodge is found. Guests have the unique opportunity to witness, interact with and learn from one of the oldest remaining tribes in Africa. Our guides are Samburu warriors who are professionally qualified, but more importantly, who share their authentic local knowledge, ancient traditions and customs with guests.

Community Focused
Saruni Samburu is the only lodge in Kalama COnservancy, and the sole source of income for the communitites found in the area. Since its opening, Saruni Samburu has provided jobs, income, training and guidance for the local Samburu people in the area. Tourism directly supports conservation – by visiting Saruni Samburu, you are directly giving back to the community who protects this beautiful land, improving their quality of life, while at the same time encouraging the purpose for conservation.


Our Phptography Landcruisers

In the upcoming season we will use our newly modified Landcruisers. We have changed several Landcruisers over the last weeks to be more convenient for photographers. Therefore we have removed the sliding windows and replaces them with a canvas modular system. This will allow the photographers to use even bigger lenses without and space issues. On top we have insalled a bean bag bar which will be fittet with an additional wood planket as well. It will also have a trip pod mount as well.

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The wooden plank will be 20 centimeters wide and will provide enough width to fit your bean bags perfectly. The bean bag bar can be foldet away during your travels. These modifications will upgrade our cars to one of the best available in Kenya.

All our cars have a roof hatch, bean bags and also an inverter to charge your batteries during the game drive. We have two sockets in each car and can also provide a socket bar if necessary. Our radios will allow all our cars to communicate during the game drive on a private frequence. This will give the advantage that our cars can split in search for the best motives and guide each other to the sightings. Our driver guides are all bronze and silver guides and know everything about the animals, birds and the area you will visit!